Hide is the major source of E. coli O157 on carcass, in trim and in ground beef. The IEH Harvest Monitoring System measures microbiological markers at key positions on the harvest line to measure how much contamination is transferred to carcasses during hide removal and then how much carcass contamination is removed by microbial interventions.

This process is an indirect process control tool that is intended to help beef slaughterers make sure that harvest floor sanitary dressing and microbial interventions meet performance targets.

At IEH, we have scientists and technical experts with over 100 combined years of experience dealing with food borne pathogens and food safety systems.

• Quantify the transfer of E. coli O157 and other pathogens from hide to carcass and then to finished goods
• Evaluate the efficacy of the hide removal process, of the interventions of chilling, fabrication, trim and ground beef production

• Monitoring bacterial levels at various locations in the process
• Quantify a series of unique microbiological markers
• Develop indices to determine the efficacy of the individual segments of the process
• Monitor deviations in the process
• Implement corrective actions through science-based recommendations
• Provide Statistical Process Control (SPC) for information based decision making